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Wilsonville council debates whether ballot title hides funding; some call for 'urban renewal' language
Summary
Council members split over whether to use 'Town Center Development District' or the traditional 'urban renewal district' phrasing; Councilor Cunningham argued the caption should directly reference funding and asked staff to place charter disclosures at the start of the explanatory statement.
The Wilsonville City Council's discussion on Aug. 5 centered as much on ballot wording as on whether to refer the measure. Councilor Cunningham argued that the proposed caption and question fail to highlight the measure's chief purpose — funding infrastructure through urban renewal — and urged the council to restore plain, historically used language.
"The chief purpose is funding," Cunningham said, arguing that prior ballot titles for Coffee Creek (2015) and earlier measures explicitly referenced urban renewal and the funding purpose. He asked staff to place the charter‑mandated financial disclosures at the start of the explanatory statement so those details appear in the county voter pamphlet rather than relying on a city mailer.
Other councilors defended the newer wording. Councilor Shevlin said the phrase 'Town Center Development District' better communicates what the city intends to do locally and that staff added 'urban renewal' into exhibit language at her request. Council President Berry and Councilor Scholl supported moving forward with the resolution and told the public the materials will include required assumptions and maximum indebtedness in the explanatory statement and mailers.
The council did not adopt Cunningham's requested wording changes before voting; it instead voted 5–0 to refer Resolution 3‑279 to the ballot, leaving the contested phrasing in the exhibits that voters will review.
